Exegesis verses 1 – 3

EXEGESIS VERSES 15 – 17:

!d<[eê-!g:b. WhxeäNIY:w: ~d"_a'h'(-ta, ~yhiÞl{a/ hw"ïhy> xQ:±YIw: ^WTT Genesis 2:15

`Hr"(m.v'l.W Hd"Þb.['l.

^NAS Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man (w + xql + hwhy + ~yhil{a/ + tae + h; + ~d'a' [waw consec. + v/qal/IPF/3ms: laqach; "He took"; + proper/n: yahweh; + n/com/m/pl/abs: elohim; + sign of d.o. + d.a. + n/com/m/s/abs: 'adam; "the man"]) and put him into the garden of Eden (w + xwn + B + !G: + !d,[e [waw consec. + v/hiphil/IPF/3ms w/3/m/s suff.: nuach; "caused to put him/rested/settled down"; + prep.: bet; + n/com/b/s/constr: gan; "garden of"; proper/n; -eden]) to cultivate it and keep it. (l + db[ + w + l + rmv [prep. + v/qal/inf/constr. w/3/f/s suff.: -abad; "to work it/cultivate it"; + waw conj. + prep. + v/qal/inf/constr. w/3/f/s suff.: shamar; "to keep it/guard it"])

lKoïmi rmo=ale ~d"Þa'h'(-l[; ~yhiêl{a/ hw"åhy> ‘wc;y>w: ^WTT Genesis 2:16

`lke(aTo lkoïa' !G"ßh;-#[e(
^NAS Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, (w + hwc + hwhy + ~yhil{a/ + l[; + h; + ~d'a' + l + rma [waw consec. + v/piel/IPF/3/m/s: tsawah; "He commanded/charged"; + proper/n: yahweh; + n/com/m/pl/abs: elohim; + prep.: -al; "upon/concerning"; + d.a. + n/com/m/s/abs: 'adam; + prep. + v/qal/inf/constr: 'amar; "for the purpose to say/saying"]) "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (!mi + lKo + #[e + h; + !G: + lka + lka [prep.: min; "from"; + n/com/m/s/constr.: kol; "any of/every"; + n/com/m/s/constr.: -ets; "a tree of"; + d.a. + n/com/b/s/abs; gan; "the garden"; + v/qal/inf: 'akal; "to eat of"; + v/qal/IPF/2ms: 'akal; "you will eat"])

yKiª WNM,_mi lk;Þato al{ï [r"êw" bAjå ‘t[;D:’h; #[eªmeW ^WTT Genesis 2:17

`tWm)T' tAmï WNM,Þmi ^ïl.k'a] ~Ay°B.
^NAS Genesis 2:17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, (w + !mi + #[e + h; + t[;D; + bAj + w + [r; + al{ + lka + !mi [waw conj. + prep: min; + n/com/m/s/constr: -ets; "the tree of"; + d.a. + n/com/f/s/constr: da-ath; "the knowledge of", same as 2:9; + n/com/m/s/abs: tob; "good"; + waw conj. + adj/m/s/abs: ra-; "evil"; + neg. part.: lo'; "not"; + v/qal/IPF/2ms; 'akal; "you will eat"; + prep. w/3/m/s suff.: min; "from it"]) for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." (yKi + B + ~Ay + lka + !mi + )twm + twm [causal prep.: kiy; "because/for"; + prep. + n/com/m/s/constr: yom; "the day"; + v/qal/inf/constr: 'akal; "to eat of"; + prep. w/3ms suff: min; "from it"; + v/qal/inf/abs: muth; "to die/dying"; + v/qal/IPF/2ms: muth; "you will die"])

ANALYSIS VERSES 15 – 17:

1. 
   With the location of man’s new home established, Yahweh Elohim next takes him and puts him into the garden of Eden.
   
2. 
   While vs.8b already addressed God placing Adam into the garden, it is now restated with additional emphasis.
   
3. 
   Whereas vs.8b emphasized God’s geographical will (verb “placed/~yV – siym” or “appointed”), our verse emphasizes God interceding on behalf of the man fulfilling that will.
   
4. 
   God’s part is revealed in the two verbs “took/laqach” and “put/nuach”.
   
5. 
   “Took” has the nuance to “lay hold of” or “seize” with force (cf.2:21,22,23).
   
6. 
   The hiphil verb “put” is causative and means “rest/settle down” (cf.8:4).
   
7. 
   So God seized Adam and caused him to acquire his new home according to His geographical will per vs.8b.
   
8. 
   In other words, God forcefully intervened in a physical way to ensure Adam’s compliance.
   
9. 
   Principle: God has geographical will and will provide as necessary for +V to fulfill that will.
   
10. 
    Our verse further reflects upon God’s grace and provision for +V fulfilling God’s will in life.
    
11. 
    The purpose of God’s intervention is then stated with two infinitives, “to cultivate it and keep it”.
    
12. 
    A purpose for God’s extension of grace is for man’s application of His directive will.
    
13. 
    “To cultivate/-abad” means to “work/labor” (cf.2:5) and points to man’s part with respect to living grace.
    
14. 
    The Bible teaches that living grace is to be withheld from those that are not willing to work. Cp.2The.3:10
    
15. 
    There is no magic in Eden as gardens need attention otherwise the area will go back to an overgrown wilderness.
    
16. 
    God Himself planted the first earthly garden and so had it in pristine condition for man’s occupancy.
    
17. 
    It then became man’s responsibility to act as the gardner.
    
18. 
    His first assigned duty was to keep the place looking attractive and kept.
    
19. 
    Gardening is the oldest profession!
    
20. 
    The second infinitive “to keep/shamar” has the added nuance of “protection/guard” (cf.3:24).
    
21. 
    Adam was to guard or protect his new home.
    
22. 
    The question: “From what?”
    
23. 
    The only conceivable danger out there was Lucifer’s organization.
    
24. 
    This was a very real and present threat as it is revealed in chapter 3.
    
25. 
    The guarding finds its force in doing what is necessary to fulfill God’s directive will as to the niche assigned Adam.
    
26. 
    This points to the importance of BD and its application Ph₂.
    
27. 
    While Adam could not protect himself and the woman from a physical attack by Satan, he could protect against a spiritual assault.
    
28. 
    This demanded continued +V by Adam adhering to God’s directive will.
    
29. 
    It is volition then that will be tested in the garden.
    
30. 
    This is the significance of the two trees in vss.16,17.
    
31. 
    God charges Adam with two commands carrying both positive and negative connotations.
    
32. 
    In the garden, God gives Adam unlimited permission to eat freely from any tree, but only issues a single prohibition not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
    
33. 
    How long God intended for the prohibition to remain is not known.
    
34. 
    “Any tree” would include the Tree of Life (cf.vs.9) symbolizing their eternal life of righteousness (cp.Pro.11:30).
    
35. 
    The counterpart Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem is symbolic of the immense blessings bestowed upon believers corresponding to their Ph₂ (Cf.Rev.2:7; 22:19
    
36. 
    As the Tree of Life reverses the death gene (cf.3:22), it’s consumption before the fall would not have had any particular physical effect otherwise.
    
37. 
    In other words, the dynamic from eating this fruit could not add to what the man and woman already were in their physiology.
    
38. 
    They did not possess the death gene until after violating the prohibition and it is the death gene that would have been eradicated by eating of the Tree of Life after the fact.
    
39. 
    Their bodies were equipped to live on forever with God manufacturing it to possess a kind of immortality.
    
40. 
    This does not mean they had bullet-proof immortality (as with a resurrection body) as the body needed food, water and air to survive.
    
41. 
    It was not impervious to injury and even fatal injury (apart from God’s protection).
    
42. 
    One thing is certain, the human body was first made to enjoy a forever existence and only the presence of the death/aging gene overruled that.
    
43. 
    If Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would have remained youthful forever.
    
44. 
    The eating of “any tree” category looks to a sustained condition of +V.
    
45. 
    The only test before the Adam otherwise was the warning to not eat of the forbidden fruit.
    
46. 
    The test was not onerous and extended to only this one tree.
    
47. 
    This illustrates the ultimate objective as to what he was to guard against i.e., -V/disobedience to BD.
    
48. 
    He could look at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, touch it, relax under its branches, play catch with its fruit, but under no circumstances to eat and digest its fruit.
    
49. 
    When food is eaten it is digested, absorbed into the blood stream and transported to the cells for energy.
    
50. 
    Otherwise malnutrition and starvation results in death of the organism.
    
51. 
    Adam without the ISTA had no inclination to sin; furthermore he had no knowledge of sin.
    
52. 
    We call this time before the Fall the Age of Innocence.
    
53. 
    However, Adam was clearly temptable and peccable (able to sin).
    
54. 
    He possessed free will and that will was tested in the Garden by this single prohibition.
    
55. 
    We humans, inheriting Adam’s genetics are subject to temptation from within (ISTA) and from without (lust of the eyes, the world, Satan).
    
56. 
    Jesus (the 2^nd Adam), not possessing an OSN/STA was only tempted from without (Satan and the 40 days, Mar.1:13 cp. Heb.2:18; 4:15).
    
57. 
    For Adam, the Divine threat was that if he ate of that tree he “would surely die”.
    
58. 
    The literal Hebrew is: “dying you shall die”
    
59. 
    The first death of the qal infinitive “dying” refers to spiritual death as evidenced that neither Eve nor Adam fell over dead when they ate as if they were poisoned.
    
60. 
    The 2^nd use of the qal imperfect verb (you will die) refers to the ultimate ravages of the death gene resulting in the death of the physical body.
    
61. 
    The imperfect of the 2^nd death is a certain future as a result from the 1^st death.
    
62. 
    Adam lived to be 930 years old. Gen.5:5
    
63. 
    We can assume that Adam had some understanding of what the term “die” meant, otherwise the judgment would have been meaningless.
    
64. 
    Adam had a rather extensive dictionary downloaded into his brain computer when God formed him (cf.vss.19-20a).
    
65. 
    For something to die it must cease to exist as per the word’s most basic meaning.
    
66. 
    Adam, apart from the woman, is briefed on the ground rules of living and prospering in the Garden.
    
67. 
    Adam was a test case to resolve the satanic appeal and A/C.
    
68. 
    For it to be a real test he would have to be tempted and so we find out in Gen.3 that Satan was granted access to him and the woman.
    
69. 
    Adam as the human authority on earth was to protect himself and the woman from any attempt to get them to sin and ruin what they had in paradise.
    
70. 
    God issued Adam a death threat and the carrying out of that Divine edict was for him to experience death with two distinct aspects.
    
71. 
    The first was spiritual death as punishment for disobedience carrying eternal ramifications.
    
72. 
    The second affected his genetic code and had to do with the special makeup of the forbidden fruit.
    
73. 
    This death was experiential as temporal punishment for the disobedience.
    
74. 
    This was no ordinary fruit as was the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden.
    
75. 
    When Adam sinned God withdrew the human spirit making him “the natural man”. Cf.1Cor.2:14 (yuciko,j – psuchikos or “soulish man” [without human spirit])
    
76. 
    Once digested, the chemistry of the forbidden fruit did its thing transforming the genetic code.
    
77. 
    In addition to the death gene, the dynamic of the forbidden fruit resulted in an indwelling genetically engineered sin nature (see doctrine of…).
    
78. 
    One act of disobedience produced two deaths: spiritual (immediately) and physical (much later for Adam). Cf.Rom.5:19a
    
79. 
    Christ Himself in obedience underwent the same two deaths to reverse the effects of Adam’s disobedience. Cp.Rom.5:19b cf.Isa.53:9 (lit. “in His deaths/tw
80. 
    Review the Doctrine of Deaths.
    

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